Further Details
In this catalogue it was suggested that the model might depict one of Madame de Pompadour’s poodles and there is a striking resemblance between the model and one of her poodles as depicted on a lid of a rare Sevres porcelain box at Waddesdon, illustrated by Svend Eriksen in the Catalogue, pl. 42 a. Sophie, like the Chelsea Derby Toy Spaniel should be regarded as a ‘Dog Portrait’, a commemorative model sculpted as a a special commission probably to capture in essence a faithful royal or aristocratic Pet Dog. The name ‘Sophie’ has been suggested to be the name of the Dog itself but it seems much more likely that it represents the owner, Madame Sophie, one of the four maiden daughters of Louis XV who completed her convent education in 1751 and appeared at that point at the Court at Versailles.
The Toy Spaniel therefore is born in an important royal and aristocratic tradition of immortalising their favourite and beloved Dog as a touching commemoration. The animal appears also to be related to the famous model of Trump and both Chelsea pieces may be by the same modeller. It is likely that the Derby version has been revived by William Duesbury produced from the Chelsea mould after his takeover of the Chelsea manufactory in 1769-70. Eighteenth century English porcelain animal models on this scale are most unusual. Certainly with a surviving Chelsea model of the type of Dog favoured in the Royal Family since the time of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria and still within the Royal Collection of her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle, this points to the most important of all special commissions.